JI Announces November 29 Rally at Minar-e-Pakistan Against Petroleum Levy

LAHORE: (Staff Reporter) – Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has announced a major public rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on November 29 as part of its campaign against the petroleum levy and rising fuel prices.

JI Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman announced the plan while addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Mansoorah, Lahore. He said the party would continue its protests until the government abolished the petroleum levy.

He maintained that negotiations with the government and public protests would proceed simultaneously. JI will also organise a major gathering in Quetta on November 22, followed by rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi.

Hafiz Naeem claimed that the party’s campaign against rising petroleum prices had started yielding results, arguing that the government’s relief measures were introduced in response to pressure from JI.

However, he said further measures were necessary to provide substantial relief to the public. Referring to the government’s announcement of financial assistance for around 15 million people, he demanded that the relief programme also cover owners of vehicles with engine capacities of up to 1,300cc, rather than being restricted to those with vehicles of up to 800cc.

He also called for financial relief for farmers who use tractors and operators of public transport.

JI Proposes Shifting Petroleum Levy to Larger Vehicles

The JI chief disclosed that the party had held nine rounds of negotiations with the government.

According to Hafiz Naeem, government representatives had described the petroleum levy as an issue connected with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He said JI had presented proposals for abolishing the levy, including increasing import duties on larger vehicles and shifting the tax burden to their owners instead of ordinary fuel consumers.

Hafiz Naeem claimed that the government had earlier suggested petrol prices could reach Rs1,000 per litre, but prices had begun declining following the party’s campaign.

He argued that owners of vehicles with engine capacities exceeding 1,800cc largely belonged to influential sections of society and should shoulder a greater share of the tax burden.

JI Chief Criticises Government and Opposition Over Cartels

The JI emir also criticised what he described as powerful business cartels in the oil refining, sugar, gas, flour and independent power producer (IPP) sectors.

He alleged that these groups were benefiting at the expense of ordinary citizens and accused both the government and opposition of protecting their interests.

Hafiz Naeem also criticised the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, alleging that its policies were damaging the province’s agriculture and education sectors.

Questioning the education system, he asked why 52 per cent of students had failed their ninth-grade examinations despite the chief minister’s public appearances and photographs with schoolchildren.

The JI chief reiterated that his party would continue its protests and negotiations until the government addressed its demands for changes to the petroleum levy and relief for the public.